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The Potty

Last night my son used the potty. Yes, this is that post. The one where I discuss my son and his bodily functions but I will only focus on pee. Unlike Kate (of John and Kate plus 8) I will never take a photo of my son's poop because that is just disgusting. That is my opinion of course, you can disagree but seriously? Nasty.

Anyhow, back to the matter at hand. Last night when I put my son in the crib after our ritual of reading books, prayers and playing lullabies, he asked to go to the potty. I thought it might be a delay tactic but decided to go with the flow and see if he was serious. We proceeded to his bathroom, he sat on the potty and peed. Like a big boy! Okay, perhaps you may think sitting on the potty is not exactly big boy behavior but it is a start. A very good start! I never thought I would be so ecstatic and beaming with pride but I am. And get this - he did it again tonight! Yes, he did. Before going to bed he asked to go to the potty. My son is growing up and hopefully diapers will soon be a distant memory. As a matter of fact the news gets better, I started this post last week and my son is truly becoming a pro! He prefers to stand and pee now. And, at school whenever they have potty time he uses it!

When I started seriously thinking about potty training I went to twitter because I have a network of over 7000 folks and many of them are potty training experts(by expert I mean moms/dads that have already been down the potty training road). I asked for tips because I am seriously not in the mood to read books, trudge through websites, google searches, etc to learn how to do it. I am taking the easy way and twitter is a goldmine of information. Jill of Potty Tots came to my aid. She is a mompreneur that developed "Potty Tots" to train her child. The concept is simple, children learn by doing and engaging your child in the process will move the potty training process along. Jill sent Mekhi a Potty Tots Potty Training Kit. The kit was addressed to Mekhi and the introductory letter from the potty tots is also addressed to him. Before it arrived Jill asked me to show Mekhi the PottyTots website so that he would be familiar with them when they arrived.

His kit is just for boys (there also has one for girls) and includes a DVD, book, potty chart, and superbowl type of tracking chart with clings. We watched the DVD immediately we enjoyed the story and "music videos" too. Later that day we read the book. After that I didn't pressure Mekhi at all. One day I put him on the potty and he was successful; I raced downstairs to retrieve the Potty Tot tattoos and put one on his arm as a reward. As soon as he saw it he yelled "POTTY TOTS!"Apparently he retained everything that we did a couple of weeks prior. I later put up the potty tot chart which serves as a guide and the "toilet bowl" stadium. Every time he goes potty now he moves the Potty Tot cling carrying the football closer to the goal.

Here is a brief video of Mekhi and his Potty Tots:

I am really happy with the potty training so far. It is a process but we are certainly making a great deal of progress and this is exciting for all of us.

I really credit the Potty Tots program with helping Mekhi on this journey. Jill has graciously offered to give one of my readers a Potty Tot kit to use with their child or give as a gift. To enter simply visit the Potty Tots website and let me know your favorite aspect of the site. You can earn extra entries by doing the following:

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This giveaway is open until 11:59 PM on Friday, July 17, 2009. A winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will be notified by email (please be sure to include your email address if it is not in your profile) and have 48 hours to respond. Otherwise, an alternate winner will be chosen.

Congrats for getting over the first hurdle. My son is actively potty training now,while standing up thanks to my hubby. He still prefers to poop in his pull up, but surprised us one day by asking to poop in the toilet and actually doing it. Because he is standing up and can be confusing to him if he pees first than has to sit down afterward. But hey, at least he is doing something. :) Now if I could just get him to aim better and stop running the faucet water while he is washing his hands, that would be great. LOL

OMG, this is RIGHT ON TIME! My son is 2.5 and we're trying to potty train him. His pre-school has been working with him and he's stayed dry in his underwear two days in a row once he's arrived home, but that was without going to the potty at all.

I would love to try the pottytots system, my favorite aspect of the website is the multi-cultural children displayed! I also like the fact that it comes with a story and DVD, my child really likes to emulate stories (it's how we got him to not cry at the barbershop...Thank You, Bippity Bop Barbershop!)

I'm glad you've found something that works for you. :) And hopefully no diapers soon! Potty training #1 was a cinch for me, not sure how #2 will be, but he's getting his own potty this weekend. I was too cheap to do the "here's a treat" thing with baby 1. When I went (or dad went), HE went. And sometimes he'd go extra times if I asked him to. He'd sit, and if he did anything in it, it was encouraged and clapped for. That's it. We started that at 18 months, and he was trained and in big boy pants all day by 22 months. Easy peasy. We're starting at 15 months with baby 2.

I am just so impressed by what a big boy Mekhi has become! Using the potty?? I really hope and pray William will be a somewhat easy potty-trainer. I hear all the horror stories of boys and potty training and I am hoping it will NOT be that bad. Someone will be really lucky to win the prize...looks really useful :)

Oh I am so jealous! LOL... My youngest daughter has been the toughest to train yet and as soon as we make progress or are consistent she goes to her dad's for the weekend and it's like we never began. Anna happens to be very stubborn. Remember I reviewed that Potty Train product? It's great, she loves it, knows the entire thing, loves the stickers... and refuses to say when she has to go to the potty.

SIGH... Can she just come to your house and you train her? Really! Maybe we can work out some sort of compensation! :D

My favorite parts of the site are the fact that there is a parent area with tips and helps. I also like that they have both boys and girls potty kits. I think that kids respond better when something like this geared toward their gender. It makes it more understanding and personal to them. My little girl would love the story and DVD. She has a couple of potty books and she looks at them all the time.

Congrats! i know how you feel. my son is a little on the late side to potty training, but that's my fault. i was very squeamish about potty training, but now we're cooking. he's 3.5 & he tells me when he has to go even if we're out & he's wearing a pull-up. this has been a blessing & a curse because now we have to RACE to the nearest bathroom when he says he has to go (and i HATE public bathrooms). but it's a process...and i'm glad he's a BOY (can't imagine him SITTING on a public potty. ugh).